Block press



H. O. WOOD BLOCK PRESS Feb. 25, i936.

Filed July 29, 1935 w V/IVII/l/l,

/NI/ENTOE:

fof/5 A rra/@NE Y- Patented Feb. 25, 1936 ff- TATES l i man PATENT OFFICE BLOCK PRESS poration of Missouri Application July 29, 1935, Serial No. 33,695

Claims.

This invention relates to block presses of the type wherein the material is supplied to the mold by a cam operatedV charging mechanism and is compacted in s aid mold by plungers operating in timed relation with said charging mechanism.

The principalobject of the present invention is to devise a simple and economical charging mechanism that will charge the mold during every othervrevolution only of the cam, thus allowing theblock to beY given a double pressing by the plungers before it isvdischarged from the mold. The invention consists in the construction, combinations andarrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

jln the `accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification and wherein like sym- Y bolsrefer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a portion of a block press provided with a cam actuated mold charging mechanism embodying my invention; and f Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are views similar to Fig. 1 showing therelative positions of the parts at different sftages in the operation of pressing a'block. Yi'teferring to the accompanying drawing, my invention is shown in connection with a block press of the kind used for forming dry clay bricks. Said press comprises a suitable bed I having a vertical opening therein in which is mounted a mold box 2 that'is opened at its top and bottom. Dlsposed above the mold box 2 is a vertically movable plunger 3 whose lower surface is provided with acap plate 4 that fits in and constitutes the top of said mold box. Disposed beneath the mold box is afsirnilar vertical plunger 5 provided with a vcap plate 6 constituting the bottom of said mold box.

Mounted on the bed I for reciprocating or toand-fromovement across the top of the mold box 2 is a device for charging the mold with thexloo'se clay that is to 'be pressed into a brick. The charging device comprises a box I open at its top and bottom and normally closed at its bottom by the bed I. 'Ihe charger 1 is reciprocated by means of a face cam comprising a plate 8 rotatable with a suitably supported horizontal shaft 9 having a large gear IU thereon that is driven by a pinion II meshing therewith. The cam shaft 9 is located above the bed and is disposed substantially at right angles to the path of travel of the charger 1. The connection between the cam plate 8 and the charger 'I cornprises a lever I2 fulcrumed in a suitable bearing I3 provided therefor in the machine for vertical swinging movement transversely of the cam axis and having an upwardly extending arm provided at its free end with a roller I4, which runs in a cam groove or path provided therefor in the face of the cam plate 8, and a downwardly extending arm which is connected to the rear end of a rod I5 whose forward end is pivotally connected to the rear end of said mold charger box.

The groove of the cam 8 is of irregular shape resembling a heart; that is, for little more than one-half of a circumference said groove has a portion IB located close to and concentric with the cam axis; and consequently when this cam roller is in this portion of the groove the charger is held in retracted position. At one end of this circular dwell portion I6, the groove rises or extends away from the cam axis, as at I l, for about one-fourth of a circumference and then falls or extends inwardly, as at I8, the remaining quarter turn of the cam to the opposite end of said circular portion. By this arrangement, when the roller is at the outer end of the rising portion Il of the cam groove the lever I2 is in a position that will place the charger 'I over the mold box 2 and when the roller is in the return or falling portion IB of the groove said lever is rocked in a direction which will retract said charger and thus move the same clear of the mold.

In accordance with common practice, the vertically movable plungers 3 and 5 are actuated by suitable mechanism (not shown) which is timed with respect to the cam 8 so that the material is compacted in the mold with each revolution of said cam.

As shown in the drawing, the rising and falling portions of the cam groove are connected by a bypass groove I9 in the form of a circular arc that is disposed concentric to and of the same radius as the semicircular dwell portion I6 of said cam groove. Travel of the cam roller through this bypass groove is controlled by means of a gate or switch in the form of a lever 20 that is pivotally secured, as at 2|, to the cam plate with its arms disposed substantially at right angles to each other. In one position of this lever the arm 22 thereof extends across the entering end of the by-pass groove I9 with its free end in abutting relation to the inner wall thereof and thus forms a portion of the inner wall of the rising portion I1 of the cam groove, while the other arm 23 of said lever extends across the falling portion I8 of the cam groove in the path of the cam roller. Engagement of the arm 23 of the lever 2U with the cam roller swings said arm inwardly until it strikes the inner wall of the by-pass groove I9, thereby causing the lever to pivot on its axis and swing the arm 22 across the rising portion I I of the cam groove. In this position of the switch lever 20, the arm 22 blocks the entrance to the rising portion I 'I of the cam groove and thus bypasses the roller through the by-pass groove I9. The movement of the roller through the by-pass groove swings the arm 23 of the lever across the falling portion I8 of the cam groove and swings the other arm 22 inwardly to close the entering end of the by-pass groove, thereby forcing the roller to travel around the rising and falling pori tions of the cam groove during the next revolution of the cam. Thus, the cam roller engagesi'the,V

rising and falling portions of the cam groove during one revolution of the earn and moves ,the

charger forward and backward, and during the next revolution of the cam the roller is by-passed through the by-pass groove and no movement is imparted to the charger.

'I'he hereinbefore described mechanism operates as follows: The upper plunger 3 is raised clear of the mold box 2 andthe bottom plunger 5 is raised so that its cap B is ush with the bed' IV of the press. The finished brick is thus ready to be ejected from the press and the charger 'I is filled with loose clay for the charging operation. YThe chargerthen. moves toward the mold pushing the pressed brick ahead of it oi the bottom plunger 5, the loose clay in the charger is then deposited on the bottom plunger, whichV drops to its lowestA position, the loose clay piling up on it in the mold box. The charger is then retracted toits original position and again lled with loose clay. In this position of the charger,

Ythe upper plunger is lowered to press the brick in the mold boxand said plunger and brick are raised to the ejecting position. At this tima-however, the switch lever 20 operatesto by-pass-the cam roller through the by-pass groove of the cam, thus preventing the charger from moving forward, and the'brick is lowered into the mold box and the upper plunger again descends to press the brick for a second time, after which the plunger is raised, as above described, and the brick. ejected from the mold to complete the Vcycle of operation. Thus, the plungers are moved to pressing position during each revolution of the camV while the charger moves forward to charge and eject a iinished brick during every other revolution only of the cam, with the result that the:

brick is pressed twice before it, leaves the mold be molded, a cam operatively connected to said charger for actuating the same, a compacting device operable during each revolution of said cam to compact the material in said mold, and means whereby sai-d charger is moved to charging position during every other revolution only of said cam.

2. In a block press, a mold, a reciprocating charger for charging said mold with material to be molded, a cam operatively connected to said `charger for actuating the same, a compacting def vice operable during each revolution of said cam to compact the material in said mold, and means r:for automatically rendering said cam inoperative during every other revolution thereof.

@13. In a block press, a mold, a reciprocating charger for charging said mold with material to be molded, a rotary cam operatively connected to said charger for actuating the same, a compacting device operable during each revolution of said cam to compact thematerial in said mold, and means operable by the movement of the cam during one revolution therefor for rendering vthe cam inoperative to advance the charger to the mold during the next revolution, said means being operable by the cam during the inoperative revolution to render the cam operative kduring the following revolution.

4'. In a block` press, a mold, a reciprocating charger for charging said mold with material to be molded, a rotary cam plate, a connection between said cam Yand said charger for actuating'j the same including a cam roller working in a` suitably shaped cam groove Yin said cam plate, compacting device operable duringeach revolution of said cam Yto compact the material in said mold, said cam havinga by-pass groove formed therein between the axis thereof and the rising and falling portions of the camgroove, and a gate mounted on said cam for by-passing Ysaid cam roller through said by-pass groove durin every other revolution of said camf 5. In a block press, aY mold, a reciprocating' charger for charging said'mold with material to be molded, a rotary cam plate, a connection between sai-d cam and said charger-for actuating the same including a cam roller working in a suitably shaped cam groove in said cam plate, compactingv device operable during each revolution of said cam to compact the material in said mold,said cam having a by-pass groove formed therein between the axis thereof and the rising and falling Y gli 

